2nd United States Congress

Major events

Main article: 1791 in the United States, 1792 in the United States, 1793 in the United States

• April 5, 1792: President Washington used the veto for the first time, vetoing a bill designed to apportion representatives among U.S. states.
• April–May, 1792: the House conducted the government's first investigative hearings, examining Gen. Arthur St. Clair's Defeat in the Battle of the Wabash.
• October 13, 1792: Foundation of Washington, D.C.: The cornerstone of the United States Executive Mansion, now known as the White House, was laid.

Major legislation

Main article: List of United States federal legislation, 1789–1901#2nd United States Congress

• February 20, 1792: Postal Service Act, Sess. 1, ch. 7, , established the U.S. Post Office
• March 1, 1792: Act relative to the Election of a President and Vice President of the United States, and to Presidential Succession, Sess. 1, ch. 8, , stated the process for electors and Congress to follow when electing a president and vice president, and established which federal officer would act as president if both the offices of president and vice president became vacant.
• April 2, 1792: Coinage Act of 1792, Sess. 1, ch. 16, , established the United States Mint and regulated coinage
• April 14, 1792: Apportionment Act of 1792, Sess. 1, ch. 23 , increased the size of the House of Representatives from 69 seats in the 2nd Congress to 105 in the 3rd and apportioned those seats among the several states according to the 1790 census
• May 2, 1792: First Militia Act of 1792, Sess. 1, ch. 28, , empowered the president to call out the militias of the various states in the event of an invasion or rebellion.
• May 5, 1792: Debtors' Prison Relief Act of 1792, Sess. 1, ch. 29, , established penal regulations and restrictions for persons' gaoled for property debt, tax evasion, and tax resistance.
• May 8, 1792: Second Militia Act of 1792, Sess. 1, ch. 33, , required that every free able-bodied white male citizen of the various states, between the ages of 18 and 45, enroll in the militia of the state in which they reside.
• February 12, 1793: Fugitive Slave Act of 1793, Sess. 2, ch. 7,
• March 2, 1793: Judiciary Act of 1793 (including Anti-Injunction Act), Sess. 2, ch. 22,

States admitted

• March 4, 1791: Vermont was admitted as the 14th state,
• June 1, 1792: Kentucky was admitted as the 15th state,

Constitutional amendments

• December 15, 1791: The first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution, collectively known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified by the requisite number of states (then 11) to become part of the Constitution.

Party summary

There were no political parties in this Congress. Members are informally grouped into factions of similar interest, based on an analysis of their voting record.

Details on changes are shown below in the "Changes in membership" section.

Senate

During this congress, two new Senate seats were added for each of the new states of Vermont and Kentucky.

House of Representatives

During this congress, two new House seats were added for each of the new states of Vermont and Kentucky. (Sess. 3, ch. 9, )

Leadership

Senate

• President: John Adams (P)
• President pro tempore:
  • Richard Henry Lee (P)
  • John Langdon (P), elected November 5, 1792

House of Representatives

• Speaker: Jonathan Trumbull Jr. (P)

Members

This list is arranged by chamber, then by state. Senators are listed by class, and representatives are listed by district.

Senate

Main article: List of United States senators in the 2nd Congress

Senators were elected by the state legislatures every two years, with one-third beginning new six-year terms with each Congress. Preceding the names in the list below are Senate class numbers, which indicate the cycle of their election. In this Congress, Class 1 meant their term began in this Congress, facing re-election in 1796; Class 2 meant their term ended with this Congress, facing re-election in 1792; and Class 3 meant their term began in the last Congress, facing re-election in 1794.

[[List of United States senators from Connecticut|Connecticut]]

: 1. Oliver Ellsworth (P) : 3. William S. Johnson (P), until March 4, 1791 :: Roger Sherman (P), from June 13, 1791

[[List of United States senators from Delaware|Delaware]]

: 1. George Read (P) : 2. Richard Bassett (P)

[[List of United States senators from Georgia|Georgia]]

: 2. William Few (A) : 3. James Gunn (A)

[[List of United States senators from Kentucky|Kentucky]]

: 2. John Brown (A), from June 18, 1792 : 3. John Edwards (A), from June 18, 1792

[[List of United States senators from Maryland|Maryland]]

: 1. Charles Carroll (P), until November 30, 1792 :: Richard Potts (P), from February 4, 1793 : 3. John Henry (P)

[[List of United States senators from Massachusetts|Massachusetts]]

: 1. George Cabot (P) : 2. Caleb Strong (P)

[[List of United States senators from New Hampshire|New Hampshire]]

: 2. Paine Wingate (A) : 3. John Langdon (P)

[[List of United States senators from New Jersey|New Jersey]]

: 1. John Rutherfurd (P) : 2. Philemon Dickinson (P)

[[List of United States senators from New York|New York]]

: 1. Aaron Burr (A) : 3. Rufus King (P)

[[List of United States senators from North Carolina|North Carolina]]

: 2. Samuel Johnston (P) : 3. Benjamin Hawkins (P)

[[List of United States senators from Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]]

: 1. Albert Gallatin (A), from February 28, 1793 (not formally installed until next Congress) : 3. Robert Morris (P)

[[List of United States senators from Rhode Island|Rhode Island]]

: 1. Theodore Foster (P) : 2. Joseph Stanton Jr. (A)

[[List of United States senators from South Carolina|South Carolina]]

: 2. Pierce Butler (A) : 3. Ralph Izard (P)

[[List of United States senators from Vermont|Vermont]]

: 1. Moses Robinson (A), from October 17, 1791 : 3. Stephen R. Bradley (A), from October 17, 1791

[[List of United States senators from Virginia|Virginia]]

: 2. Richard Henry Lee (A), until October 8, 1792 :: John Taylor of Caroline (A), from December 12, 1792 : 1. James Monroe (A)

]]

House of Representatives

Main article: List of United States representatives in the 2nd Congress

The names of representatives are preceded by their districts.

[[List of United States representatives from Connecticut|Connecticut]]

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. : . James Hillhouse (P) : . Amasa Learned (P) : . Jonathan Sturges (P) : . Jonathan Trumbull Jr. (P) : . Jeremiah Wadsworth (P)

[[List of United States representatives from Delaware|Delaware]]

: . John Vining (P)

[[List of United States representatives from Georgia|Georgia]]

All representatives were elected statewide from individual districts. : . Anthony Wayne (A), until March 21, 1792 (seat declared vacant) :: John Milledge (A), from November 22, 1792 : . Abraham Baldwin (A) : . Francis Willis (A)

[[List of United States representatives from Kentucky|Kentucky]]

: . Christopher Greenup (A), from November 9, 1792 : . Alexander D. Orr (A), from November 8, 1792

[[List of United States representatives from Maryland|Maryland]]

All representatives were elected statewide from individual districts. : . Philip Key (P) : . Joshua Seney (A), until December 6, 1792 :: William Hindman (P), from January 30, 1793 : . William Pinkney (P), until November 9, 1791 :: John F. Mercer (A), from February 6, 1792 : . Samuel Sterett (A) : . William Vans Murray (P) : . Upton Sheredine (A)

[[List of United States representatives from Massachusetts|Massachusetts]]

: . Fisher Ames (P) : . Benjamin Goodhue (P) : . Elbridge Gerry (A) : . Theodore Sedgwick (P) : . Shearjashub Bourne (P) : . George Leonard (P), from April 2, 1792 (late election) : . Artemas Ward (P) : . George Thatcher (P), from April 4, 1791 (late election)

[[List of United States representatives from New Hampshire|New Hampshire]]

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. : . Nicholas Gilman (P) : . Samuel Livermore (P) : . Jeremiah Smith (P)

[[List of United States representatives from New Jersey|New Jersey]]

All representatives were elected statewide on a general ticket. : . Elias Boudinot (P) : . Abraham Clark (P) : . Jonathan Dayton (P) : . Aaron Kitchell (A)

[[List of United States representatives from New York|New York]]

: . Thomas Tredwell (A), from October 24, 1791 : . John Laurance (P) : . Egbert Benson (P) : . Cornelius C. Schoonmaker (A) : . Peter Silvester (P) : . James Gordon (P)

[[List of United States representatives from North Carolina|North Carolina]]

There was a special redistricting for this Congress. : . John Steele (P) : . Nathaniel Macon (A) : . John Baptista Ashe (A) : . Hugh Williamson (A) : . William Barry Grove (P)

[[List of United States representatives from Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]]

: . Thomas Fitzsimons (P) : . Frederick Muhlenberg (A) : . Israel Jacobs (P) : . Daniel Hiester (A) : . John Wilkes Kittera (P) : . Andrew Gregg (A) : . Thomas Hartley (P) : . William Findley (A)

[[List of United States representatives from Rhode Island|Rhode Island]]

: . Benjamin Bourne (P)

[[List of United States representatives from South Carolina|South Carolina]]

: . William L. Smith (P) : . Robert Barnwell (P) : . Daniel Huger (P) : . Thomas Sumter (A) : . Thomas Tudor Tucker (A)

[[List of United States representatives from Vermont|Vermont]]

: . Israel Smith (A), from October 31, 1791 : . Nathaniel Niles (A), from October 31, 1791

[[List of United States representatives from Virginia|Virginia]]

: . Alexander White (P) : . John Brown (A), until June 1, 1792 (when his district became Kentucky) :: Vacant thereafter : . Andrew Moore (A) : . Richard Bland Lee (P) : . James Madison (A) : . Abraham B. Venable (A) : . John Page (A) : . Josiah Parker (P) : . William B. Giles (A) : . Samuel Griffin (A)

Membership changes

There were no political parties in this Congress. Members are informally grouped into factions of similar interest, based on an analysis of their voting record.

Vermont and Kentucky were newly admitted as states and are first represented in this Congress.

Senate

There were three resignations, one contested election, and four new seats of admitted states, resulting in a four-seat net gain of the Anti-Administration Senators. Sorted Chronologically by date of vacancy

|- | Pennsylvania (1) | Vacant | Legislature failed to elect senator. Successor elected February 28, 1793. | | Albert Gallatin (A) | December 2, 1793

|- | Connecticut (3) | | William S. Johnson (P) | Resigned March 4, 1791. Successor elected June 13, 1791. | | Roger Sherman (P) | June 13, 1791

|- | Vermont (3) Winners elected October 17, 1791. | | Stephen R. Bradley (A) | November 4, 1791

|- | Vermont (1) | | Moses Robinson (A) | November 4, 1791

|- | Kentucky (3) Winners elected June 18, 1792. | | John Edwards (A) | June 18, 1792

|- | Kentucky (2) | | John Brown (A) | June 18, 1792

|- | Virginia (2) | | Richard Henry Lee (A) | Resigned October 8, 1792. Successor elected October 18, 1792. | | John Taylor (A) | October 18, 1792

|- | Maryland (1) | | Charles Carroll (P) | Resigned November 30, 1792. Successor elected January 10, 1793. | | Richard Potts (P) | January 10, 1793

|}

House of Representatives

There were 3 resignations, 1 vacancy of a member-elect, 1 contested election, 2 late elections, and 4 new seats of admitted states, resulting in a 3-seat net gain of the Anti-Administration members and a 1-seat net gain of the Pro-Administration members. Sorted Chronologically by date of vacancy

Main article: List of special elections to the United States House of Representatives

|- | nowrap | | Vacant | Due to failure to reach a majority, four ballots were needed to elect. Incumbent was elected late April 4, 1791. | | George Thatcher (P) | April 4, 1791

|- | nowrap | | Vacant | Representative-elect James Townsend died on May 24, 1790, before Congress assembled. | | Thomas Tredwell (A) | October 24, 1791

|- | nowrap | | | Israel Smith (A) | October 24, 1791

|- | nowrap | | | Nathaniel Niles (A) | October 24, 1791

|- | nowrap | | | William Pinkney (P) | Resigned November 1791 | | John Francis Mercer (A) | February 6, 1792

|- | nowrap | | Vacant | Due to failure to reach a majority, eight ballots were needed to elect. Incumbent was elected late April 2, 1792. | | George Leonard (P) | April 2, 1792

|- | nowrap | | | John Brown (A) | Resigned June 1, 1792, to become U.S. Senator from Kentucky. | Vacant | Seat went with Kentucky

|- | nowrap | | | Alexander D. Orr (A) | November 8, 1792

|- | nowrap | | | Christopher Greenup (A) | November 9, 1792

|- | nowrap | | | Anthony Wayne (A) | Anthony Wayne served until March 21, 1792, when seat declared vacant because the election was contested | | John Milledge (A) | November 22, 1792

|- | nowrap | | | Joshua Seney (A) | Resigned December 6, 1792. | | William Hindman (P) | January 30, 1793

|}

Committees

Lists of committees and their party leaders.

Senate

• Whole

House of Representatives

• Elections (Chairman: Samuel Livermore)
• Rules (Select)
• Whole

Joint committees

• Enrolled Bills (Chairman: John Rutherfurd)

Employees

Senate

• Secretary: Samuel A. Otis
• Doorkeeper: James Mathers
• Chaplain: William White (Episcopalian)

House of Representatives

• Clerk: John Beckley
• Sergeant at Arms: Joseph Wheaton
• Doorkeeper: Gifford Dalley
• Chaplain:
  • Samuel Blair Presbyterian
  • Ashbel Green, Presbyterian, elected November 5, 1792
• Reading Clerks:

Notes

References

References

1. Martis, Kenneth C.. "The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress".